BIKES FOR BIKEPACKING - how I set up my bike after 75,000 kilometres
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 มิ.ย. 2024
- In this video, I go through my bicycle setup for bikepacking and bike touring and talk about what makes a good bike for going out on bike trips. It can be difficult to know how to choose a bike for bikepacking, as there are so many choices, but this video should be useful for both beginners and advanced riders. I run through my complete set of component choices and offer several tips and tricks for improving your bike setup, making it more capable, reliable, and comfortable.
I've been cycling around the world since 2015, covering around 75,000 kilometres (46,000 miles) through 71 countries. In that time I've had three different bicycles, but my current bike is by far my favourite. See below for the full list of specifications, and check the various links for more information.
*** If you would like more help with any aspect of bikepacking, I do offer a consulting/coaching service, generally on a 1 to 1 basis. For more information: www.tristanridley.com/help
For a full review of my bike, its component choices, and more thoughts on what to look for in a bike for bikepacking: www.tristanridley.com/post/ou...
Bicycle Frame: Tout Terrain Outback Explore 29: tout-terrain.de/en/the-produc...
Drivetrain: Pinion C.12 Gearbox, 1:1 gear ratio (32/32) pinion.eu/en/c-line/
Belt: Gates 115t CDX Carbon Belt Drive www.gatescarbondrive.com/prod...
Fork: Fox 34 Float Factory SC 100mm
Saddle: Brooks B17 Narrow Carved
Handlebars: SQLabs 30X (16° sweep, 780 mm)
Grips: Ergon GA3
Inner grips: Spirgrips+ www.spirgrips.com/product/spi... (for a 10% discount use the code 'TristanPlus' but note that at the time of publishing Spirgrips are fully sold out, they should have stock again soon so check back later)
Bar tape: FAT WRAP tasisbikes.com/products/tasis...
Rims: WTB KOM Tough i25, 29"
Tyres: Vittoria Mezcal 29x2.25" (tubeless)
Brakes: Magura MT5 (4 piston front, 2 rear)
Seat post: Redshift ShockStop
Pedals: RaceFace Atlas
Mudguard: Ass Savers Win Wing 2: asssavers.avln.me/c/yVURnNEwnsaD
Bicycle gear range calculator: www.sheldonbrown.com/gear-cal...
If you found this video helpful and would like to give something back, please consider supporting me on Patreon.
PATREON: / tristanrid
PAYPAL: paypal.me/tristanrid
WEBSITE: www.tristanridley.com
INSTAGRAM: / tristanrid
FULL PACKING LIST: www.tristanridley.com/gear
MORE DETAILS ABOUT MY PACKING SETUP: www.tristanridley.com/post/pe...
If you have any suggestions or additional tips to share, please let me know, and thanks for watching!
0:00 - Introduction
2:18 - What type of bike?
7:02 - My frame: Tout Terrain Outback Xplore
8:40 - Drivetrain: Pinion C1.12
10:50 - Gear range
13:08 - Wheel size & tyres
17:24 - Suspension fork vs. rigid
19:49 - Brakes
20:54 - Handlebars and grips
24:28 - Saddle
26:07 - Seat post
26:58 - Mudguards/fenders
27:25 - Pedals
29:04 - Conclusion
Great to hear from someone with real experience and not the typical snob that thinks bikes are so complicated as rockets! "don't care about my leather seat", "don't worry about hydraulic brakes", "tubeless tires are great"... haha. That's the spirit.
Ha thanks, yeah I've never been one to baby my gear. Hope the video was helpful!
I still tour on my 40 year old Claud Butler "Dalesman". Still in love with it, taken it everywhere.
Built to last!
Great to hear some real advice from someone with a wealth of experience 👍
Glad it was helpful!
Best and most complete and comprehensive information and well thought out opinions and recommendations EVER! On TH-cam !!!
So tired of listening to the strange group of riders, so-called adventure riders, who seem to suggest that you need hi tech Lululemon and a $5000 carbon frame bike with Another couple thousand dollars worth of automatic shifters.
A reliable and robust built mountain bike, that is not going to break on you, and offers mounts for all the necessary cross country gear and , Made of steel with robust components, perhaps a gate belt drive taking advantage of German engineering.
Again, thank you very much. Best reviewing all of youtube!
Thanks so much for the kind words, I appreciate it!
I really enjoy your perspective and experience! So many of the mountain bike channels are about Bike Parks and bling. Not actually riding and adventuring... It doesn't matter how old or outdated the machine, just ride it, maintain it, and love it. Let all the dudes with their bling machines pay for their ski lifts. Not that I have anything against downhill. 😂 If I want to go fast I'll get on my motorcycle. Cheers from Utah. 🍻
Cheers, I appreciate it!
Completely agree you can get by on any bike, and use whatever you got. Mine is a €799 aluminium Giant Talon mountain bike which I already owned and I converted to a touring bike when I went bike touring first. It still hasn't let me down after 10,000+ kilometer and indeed rides great on virtually any surface. Love my bike. Great video, thanks for sharing Tristan!
Thanks for watching! Another friend of mine has a Talon and loves his, sounds like a great bike!
I just got a Canyon Spectral CF 7 and I already did a 350 km tour on it. I don't care that it is an enduro bike, I love doing tours on it. My country is full of rocky mountainous offroad tho, so the bike has been really useful so far. You can tour on anything, you don't have to have 3 bikes in your garage. I don't have the money to buy another bike :D
Love your vids and your experience is very much worth listening to you 😀💪 greetings from South Bavaria
Thank you!
Great down to earth and detailed video, cheers mate.
Thanks for watching, hope it was helpful!
What a great informative video! Only sharing the most usefull and heavyly tested knowledge. Helps me a lot at 16 with great tours and cycling around the world as the biggest dreams. Maybe one day I'll be in your situation.
You are a big inspiration Tristan, always keep going.
Thanks for the kind words, glad it was helpful and good luck with everything, I hope you find a way to make your dreams a reality!
I agree. I love touring on my mountain bike!
Yeah there are always pros and cons but for me a mountain bike is definitely the way to go!
Thank you for sharing your great experience! Definitely helpful for me! Happy travels!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for sharing! Amazing material for beginners!
My pleasure!
Really useful, informative and well presented, thanks Tristan
Thank you!
Highly appreciated the introduction suggesting to use gear that you already have! ❤❤❤
Thank you! Hope you found the video useful!
Always outstanding and direct in a positive way. Best wishes from New Zealand
Thank you!
What a great bike. Thank you for sharing all these useful informations.
No worries!
Just came across your Chanel. Impressed with your take on bikepacking. Keep it up please. I’ll follow
Thanks for watching!
Learning a lot from your videos. Thank you Tristan 👍🏼
Thanks for watching!
Lovely video and you're so easy to listen to. Thanks for sharing your experiences and perspectives!
Thanks, hope it was useful!
@tristanrid Absolutely, mate. I am picking up a new bike tomorrow and have been doing all the mental math on what would be best as a relative beginner. You touched on a few things I am thinking about, like tire size, flat pedals (I'm a roadie), and and handlebar selection. Feels like my mind is on the right track with your and other's thoughts helping me along!
Ah I see, new bike day is always exciting so I hope you enjoy it!
I learned a lot from this fine video. Your presentation was excellent and I look forward to future bikepacking videos. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.
Thanks for watching!
Great tips. We love using the Pinion gearbox as well!
Nice, gearboxes are definitely the way to go!
Very thoughtful review. Thanks for sharing your valuable insights!
Thanks for watching!
Love it. Best video about bikepacking I have seen so far. You did the job first (75.000 km amazing) and then started to talk. That's the way to go. Real wisdom straight forward.
Thanks for the kind words!
Great video with plenty of honest and fair comments and opinions - I am entering the bikepacking route just now but havent chosen a bike style - with being a mtb for many years...my gut feeling was exactly what you said about a hardtail. you also confirmed many other points i already thought about. thanks again
No worries!
Your comments are logical and based on tremendous hands (and feet) on experience. Very helpful in my decision making for the GDMTBR I will be using my Niner hardtail MTB rather than my Topstone gravel for many of the reasons you outlined
Glad it was helpful, good luck with the GDMBR! I'll be riding some of the route myself this year, can't wait!
I have no plans for tours, but I do a 24-mile round commute through toe-path and single track and all of this was golden upgrade info
That's a solid commute, good on you and glad I could help!
I subscribed as that was a just a nice, relaxed presentation while still sharing loads of information. Appreciate the details on why you chose one option over another and how it works in the field. Ride the bike you have and start planning your next ride, then your next bike. I am amazed at the distances you have travelled! I live in the Tetons in Wyoming and am thinking about the GDMBR as a ride, not a race. Carbon bike, slack’ish geo and 650b x 55mm tires. If I love riding that kind of distance, then on to a steel or Ti hardtail. Thanks for making such a great video.
Thanks for watching, I'll be riding through Wyoming on the GDMBR this summer, can't wait to see that part of the world!
admirer of your work since a long time. this one once again a great video. Love from india
Thank you! Cheers!
Great review no BS. You cant buy experience but you very eloquently passed some on many thx.
Thanks for watching!
Brilliant!! Thank you
You're very welcome!
Thanks Tristan, you have gone a long way in helping us decide on a pair of Outbacks. We have just placed the order and since we are living in Iceland we can get familiar with them on some great dirt roads. Looking forward to your U.S. trip, its high on our list.
Thanks, and congratulations on your new bikes, you're going to love them! I can't wait to get out to Iceland for some cycling myself, that's been very high on my list for a long time!
Great! We wish you lots of fun on your adventures 👍
Hey. Just scrolled through and found your comment. I’m seriously considering ordering an outback too. I’m also living in Iceland, couldn’t ask how much it cost to import it here could I? I’m really struggling finding information about it. How have you found your bikes? Bet they are fantastic! Any information on sizing? I can’t find much good information about sizing either. Thanks
This all checks out - just spent a couple of days bikepacking on my 3 speed brompton in Austria...
Love a Brompton, great bikes 🤌
Great video man. I am just getting into biking...period but eventually would like to do long distance, and this was a great video. Thank you.
No worries, glad it was helpful!
Brilliantly informative. I've purchased things as a result of your insights. I love the way you give options, but most of all, my experience has been that you can rely on everything you say. The big life changer has been purchasing that same Brooks saddle and the Decathlon shorts you mentioned in another video. I never imagined I'd be cycling without padded shorts (sometimes), after years of cycling. Thanks!
My pleasure, glad it worked out for you and thanks for watching!
what Decathlon shorts?
Many thanks for such an informative video - I reckon I'll pinch some of your ideas! I mostly ride MTBs, however I do go touring with my wife, in UK and mainland Europe. We have a couple of Giant Roam 0 disc hybred bikes. They have a lot in common with a hardtail mtb and similar geometry, but a bit lighter. The tyres are 40mm so less drag and is good for light trails, tow paths and tarmac. With racks on carry a reasonable amount of kit. They are a lot of bike for not too much money with 2 x 11 gearing. Above all - they are comfortable. We do day rides, camping with our van or the odd two day trips.
I run mechanical everything, and where as my other bikes are tubless, the tourers we run tubed with Tannus tyre protectors - mainly because it's so easy to fix a puncher at the side of the road in the middle of nowhere! and don't have to carry a load of stuff, and I didn't have to get tubless wheels (bike came with traditional rims).
Pedals I put on are a reliable basic set of mtb flats, and we go with whatever saddle is comfy!
All the best, regards Tony Sadler South Wales uk 🏴 27:59 ps, love your bar Bear🐻
Sounds like a great setup! Haha and thanks, that's would be Sir Gingivere, my bodyguard. He's actually a cat, but he think's he's a bear so you're not far off 😃
Well done, Tristan. Greetings from Quadra Island.
Thank you! Hope all's good on Quadra!
Super helpful !
😊
Me: Has barely bike packed at all
Also me: Watches the whole thing intently
Great job as always dude :D! I never knew how many different frames there were :O
Thanks Izzy, we'll make a bikepacker out of you in no time! Get ready for Stonehenge next month!
Дякую за ваше відео та досвід. Дуже корисні поради.
Great thanks. 😊
Welcome :)
@@tristanrid 🤗
Oh man, this video is like the perfect answer to thousands of questions i had since i "restarted" biking again (after nearly 15 years) with the goal of long distance adventures! And now i know, that i chose subconsciously so many right decisions! Especially what bike i'm going to ride (our bikes have even nearly the same geometry - its like a blessing for me after 1000s of sleepless nights : ))
Thank you so much!
And your explanations are so absolutely understandable and make so much sense for me! Not like so many other "youtubers" who always show you only the best and most expensive parts you will never really need. All about marketing and making money - every video is so over-clean - simply far away from the "real way".
Thanks again for many more very sleepy nights in future (hopefully most of the time in tents : ))
A feq questions i have, if it's ok: what's your height and maybe you know your inner leg lenght and your saddle height? So i could understand more of your geometry/setup and so on : ))
Cheers,
Chris.
Thanks so much for the kind words, Chris, I'm stoked to hear that the video was helpful! I'm around 6 feet tall and have pretty long legs, although I've never measured my inseam. I ride a large frame out my Outback, and it fits perfectly, although I do have to have my saddle all the way back as far as it will go, to accommodate my long legs. Hope that helps, and all the best with your next trip!
Great introduction ! No need for an expensive bike, just go.
Exactly👌
Thank you for sharing your experience in such a detailed way. I loved every minute of it. I wish every video would be so comprehemsive and told by experience.
I am looking into bikepaking although I love fully MTBs (I have one) so I'm kinda worried about the drag for longer trips. Although I probably will never ride more than 1000kms at once. 😅
Thank you for your informative video, keep up the great work!
Greetings from Hungary!
Thanks so much for the kind words, glad it was helpful, and good luck!
Nice! Thank you🎉❤
You're welcome 😊
You might take a look at the Infinity Seat. It was made for ultra long distance cycling and to provide comfort for long days in the saddle. Plus, they’re great people!
Looks interesting, I don't think I've come across that one before. You've tried it then?
Tristan, I absolutely love your last tech-info-advise videos. The most usefull I saw! Thank you for that, and for amazing articles! Good luck with what you are doing, all the best to your life, and ye... thanks once again 🙏 Forgot to add: the music is fantastic, where do you get it?
Thanks so much for the kind words! For the music I use envato elements, although it's not perfect so I'm always open to suggestions for alternatives!
The pinon gearbox is a beast I love mine
Me too!
Every time I listen to this guy I find myself nodding in agreement.
Appreciate it!
You have come really far =)
Thanks mate, yeah it's been a long road!
Also we really need to get you some chunkier tyres for your gravel bike 😉
That drive train is pretty cool. Running a Gates belt drive seems like it would fairly maintenance free. It seems like having a front shock is ideal for most offroad adventures. It can always be locked out for road stretches. But yeah if your tour is mostly hard pack and road ridged woudl save some wieght and improve efficiency. Drop bar bikes work well for efficiency over longer distance were the terain is not too rough.
Yeah the belt drive is really nice to have. Front shock is great, the main downside is maintenance, especially on a longer tour - I do also appreciate the simplicity of a rigid fork, it's nice just not to have to worry about it!
Been looking forward to this video. Thanks for posting. Any thoughts on dynamo hubs?
Thanks for watching! I prefer to stay away from dynamos as they add complexity and I'd worry about river crossings, as well as the fact that you can't turn them off if you don't need the extra power. For those reasons I find power banks make more sense, not to mention being much cheaper and not adding resistance. If I really need a LOT of extra power, I go for solar.
Tristan, that was borderline brilliant! I've watched it a few times and even taken some notes. :)
Hearing what works for you, is very helpful in getting ideas on what may help me to get more comfortable on the bike and/or finding improvements that I hadn't noticed.
Q: what shoes have you found to be the best for you and why?
Thanks for the kind words, glad it was helpful! For flat pedal cycling shoes, the best ones I've found have been Specialized Rime Flat MTB shoes - so far I've been really happy with them!
As far as your leather seat,apply some sno-seal,you can get it at any boot store.Just let your seat heat up in the sun and apply it.
I'll give that a try!
Youve made me think twice about my Plus sized 27.5 MTB not being "gravel" enough for touring around. thx for the info
No worries! If you want to make a 27.5+ faster it could be worth looking into Schwalbe G-One tyres, which come in 2.8" and are VERY fast!
In North America a Classic 26er 3x9 MTB with brakes that work that you can fix. The 26inch tires still remain readily available in any town. The Specailized Crossroads Flackjacket tire works well & is easy to change. The 2.0 inch (give or take) mtb tire is nice, because it does not need a lot of pressure & is easy to air up. (Take a couple tubes & tire wrenches though, and make sure all tube valves are threaded & easy to fit an air chuck on. Mine are Specailized or Schwable with Screader valves.)
I have some affordable mag wheels after breaking spokes, and they work nice, but I am sure some good 36 spoke bikepacking or tour rims would work.
There's definitely something said for keeping it simple and using reliable parts that have been time tested! In my experience, good quality 26" parts can be increasingly difficult to find in much of the world, but if it's working for you then that's all that matters!
26" are dead and obsolete now for touring.
Cheers mate
Thanks for watching!
Great!
Aupa ahí!
😊🙏
Good stuff, man. Really enjoyed it. I’m a mountain biker just getting into bikepacking. Such a great, level-headed perspective. Also, what shoes are you rockin?
Thanks mate 🙏 The shoes I'm wearing in this video are Vivobarefoot Magna FGs, but as much as I love them I don't wear them for cycling as the sole is too flexible. My go-to shoes for bikepacking at the moment are Specialized Rime Flats 👍
Love your detailed setup breakdowns and interesting seeing what changed between.
I have a carbon gravel bike and find it great for general local adventuring and will probably do some more overseas trips this year but definitely agree it’s more of a worry even on a plane in a proper box so would be getting nervous further afield and wouldn’t be looking to chuck it on a bus roof anytime soon.
Would be interested to know how you find these epic adventures. All sponsorship?
Yeah flying with carbon would definitely make me more nervous, the really nice thing about a steel frame and a gearbox means I never really worry about damage in transit. For most of my time cycling around the world I just worked normal jobs, saved hard, then budgeted even harder when out on tour. Nowadays I support myself with a combination of freelance content writing, online coaching, photography, TH-cam, and a bit from sponsorships. Luckily there are a lot of ways to make money remotely these days!
Hello from Canada, Tristan! Loved your review of the bike on the website and this helps round out that narrative! After crossing Canada by bike last year my partner and I are electing to get off the road and start bike packing - less cars/trucks!! Decided on Pinion and are leaning to the Outback - but we are nervous about the amount of shipping/duty to bring them here. Did you have to fork over more? These are the bikes we want - just need to balance if the duty and such are worth it to bring them home (or .... get them there and bring them home after a ride around Europe!). Great stuff Tristan!! THANK YOU!
Canada is such a playground for bikepacking, I'm heading to Vancouver in April and can't wait to get exploring! I'm not certain what the shipping/import costs will be for Canada but I imagine it will be manageable, I'd say maybe send Tout Terrain a message directly and ask them? Their customer service has always been great so I'm sure they can give you an answer! :)
15 Gear inches... Awesome, music to my ears = ) 2.25 wide with shock... Crazy grips, love em. Aero bars👍 Brooks 17 (So damn comfortable lol) ~ cool. ( seatpost = )
Thanks mate, it's a setup that's been working super well for me!
Great video, I run Spirgrips on my 2023 Sirrus X 4.0 and agree that they are brilliant, no hand fatigue whatsoever even after a very long ride, my one issue with flat bars is the lack of aero when riding into a headwind, although this can be addressed with aero loop bars such as the Jones or similar
There's also the option of clip-on aerobars, although that adds quiet a bit of weight. This year I'm trying the Velo Orange Crazy Bar V2, and so far I'm really liking it, so that could be worth a look!
@@tristanrid thanks, I'll take a look
Great review and information. As someone who is a bit of a bike collector, I agree just get out there and get going. Plenty of good used low miles bike also, just service them , brakes, hubs, tires, bearing , etc. Ps . I don't have a bike with a shock in front, lately I've been seeing roads that have cracks going across road. Im thinking your right, possibly a shock with a lock out might be good for touring , both on or off road on trails..
Yeah old bikes can pretty easily be restored and turned into perfectly good touring rigs, you don't need anything fancy to go a long way!
Great video , very informative. I appreciate you passing down all your experience/ knowledge. What is your thoughts on a full suspension bike for back packing? I have a bad back and use my 26" haro r1 around town and it let's go up and off curbs and thru rough terrain. But it dose not seam to like when I carry weight from the store . Thank you
I have the same inner bar ends on a pair of ritchey kyote bars and have them much further in and love them. They may be a wider bar than what you’re using. Also had them on a pair of Tumbleweed Persuader with good results.
The Kyote bars are great, I use those for over a year, and the Perusader bar looks great too. In the end I found I prefer a bit less sweep, but it's all a matter of figuring out what works best for you!
@@tristanrid I agree. Debating on going to a complete SQ labs cockpit
Really really good insight from someone that knows their stuff .. very rare to find on TH-cam big thanks .. cheers .. ps one question did you have your camera setup to automatic or Manuel . Regulating the lighting iOS
I always shoot manual although for this video I might have been better off with automatic as the lighting was a bit of a nightmare with the constantly changing clouds/sun - not the best place to film but it was the best I could find at the time!
@@tristanrid just wondering as learning lighting now with nd filters i still got a lot to learn
For videography whilst on the road I prefer a variable nd filter since it makes life a lot easier. Changing filters every time the light changes would otherwise be a bit of a pain when you're shooting from the saddle!
@@tristanrid good point i got Variable filter 4 to 32 and 64 to 256 .. for the drone but will change the camera ones to the same as that good point as i noticed it was a hassle cheers for the tip ..
Great video, thanks! I've got the same fork on my Chumba Ti frame. I found the Jones-H bar bugged my wrists and forearms. Switching to a steel frame, drop bar, mtb bike that takes racks and panniers for my next Divide tour. Probably be slower downhill on rough terrain, but slightly faster on flats and smoother terrain, might be an even trade-off since I'm old and slow anyway. Happy trails ☮
Always a trade off whichever way you go! Good luck with the Divide, I'll be on part of that route this year myself, can't wait to get out there!
@@tristanrid Thanks, best of luck to you too. Enjoy the route. I've ridden half of it, but CAN was closed due to Covid in 2021. I'll turn 71 while out there this summer. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your knowledge learned on the road! I was wondering if your top loaded handlebar bag was accessible while having aero bars ?
Thanks, yeah the handlebar bag is still easily accessible with aerobars, although it's ever so slightly less convenient than without. Works fine though 👍
As most here I appreciate the less bling and more riding. My interest peaked at using flat pedals and no padded shorts. And the confirmation that my hardtail is doing just fine, unless I find a pile of cash.
Even if you do find a pile of cash you might be better off spending it on adventures rather than a new bike, but to each their own. Keep checking under rainbows and hopefully you'll get lucky!
Useful information as always! On a side note found the music to be a little bit high and distracting. Cheers
Noted, thanks for the feedback, and glad it was helpful!
Nice tips, that's a wonderful introduction for people starting in bikepacking / touring world.
Have you test Vittoria Barzo in front wheel, how you compare it to Mezcal?
I haven't tried a Barzo yet as I've always found dual Mezcals to be sufficient grip for bikepacking where I'm not usually taking aggressive turns, but I've heard good things about the Barzo/Mezcal combo so maybe I'll give it a try soon!
Very helpful video thankyou. What is your take on tyre pressures?
I tend to just do it by thumb, but it definitely pays to adjust pressure depending on the terrain. I'll always add pressure if I know I have a long pavement section and drop the pressure when I get back onto the dirt.
24:50 have you tried the Brooks Cambium saddle? It’s rubber based, and is my current favorite comfort saddle for big miles. Love the rest of your setup, I’m planning on getting my pinion bike in a few months!
Awesome, you're going to love running a Pinion! And yeah the cambium was actually the first one I tried but unfortunately it definitely wasn't the one for me, after a week on it bikepacking in the Scottish Highlands my backside was NOT having a good time 😅
Amazing videos Tristan! Watched twice to get all the details. Been wanting to ditch cycling bib shorts as well. What do you wear instead? Boxer briefs? Padded boxers? Thanks and ride safe.
Btw no chafing? or do you use chamois cream?
I just wear normal merino wool boxers, no padding, although I've also gone commando (no underwear) with normal unpadded shorts too in the past. The key is having a good saddle that works for you, since many seem to be designed with padded shorts in mind, and unfortunately finding the perfect saddle can be a very long process!
I've never had chafing and have never had to use any chamois cream, not with my Brooks leather saddle, for which I'm very grateful!
Thanks man! I just subscribed. Will be watching all your vids.
Very informative video thanks! So the one thing that I noticed when you were talking about the brand of bike and the frame material is that you didn’t mention what size of frame it is. I wondered if you could make a video on what is the best frame size for the height of a person. The benefits of a too small frame vs a too large frame compared to your height. Anyways, great video!
Thanks! Mine is a Large frame, which is a perfect fit for me at around 6 foot. Best bet if you're not sure of your size will be to send the bike manufacturer a message directly, they should be able to help you out. What's your height?
My height is 5’11”, but I have a 31 inseam. And by the bike charts I can take a M, ML, or a L. I ended up purchasing a second hand Trek Marlin 8 second gen size L, and the bike seems kinda heavy to maneuver but is workable if I don’t try to do any heavy mountain biking but just stick to the easy gravel roads I guess. Thanks!
Even in “lockout”, the fork will actuate if you hit a hole which helps reduce fatigue.
Yeah lockout is definitely a must for me when it comes to bikepacking forks, so useful!
Great video, thanks! Are you still running with the rear carrier and dry bag pack?
Yeah for longer trips I generally still go for a rack and dry bag, it's only on shorter trips where I sometimes opt for the seat pack :)
Respect👍
🇵🇱🤙
Thank you!
Really enjoyed this. You mentioned about Titanium frames cracking. Is that at the welds or elsewhere?
I've heard of it happening both at the welds and on the main frame body, although it's still not very common and a good quality ti frame should be absolutely fine. In general I wouldn't worry too much about it!
22:00 'bar ends' - me too.
Yeah those are great 🤌
I'm 100% onboard with most stuff you said and set my bike up fairly similar, I run a dropper not a suspension post though and Jones bars.
Really want to try a gearbox but not been brave enough yet to drop all that cash............
I've also had to cycle with one pedal some years ago, not easy at all ! mine was a knackered thread in the non drive-side crank. Happy and safe trails. 👍
Thanks, and yeah cycling on one pedal isn't much fun! Dropper is certainly tempting for more single-track heavy routes although I haven't been quite able to justify it for a long-distance tour yet. Never say never though!
Have you considered or used a suspension stem with a rigid fork? Thanks for all of your masterful vids!
Thanks, and yeah I've definitely considered it. Suspension stems work better with drop bars as they have more travel, with flat bars they're pretty minimal, but if/when I do switch to a rigid fork I'll most likely try a suspension stem at the same time, why not!
Something like the vecnum stem?
Being far too familiar with the calf/shin bites myself, I’ve been wondering if there is a practical fold up pedal for hike-a-bike.
I’ve been very curious about the benefits of your drive system, so it was exciting to see this post. Thank you!
I've been considering trying either MKS Lambda Ezy Superior pedals or the MKS Allways Ezy Superior pedals, both of which have a quick-release system for taking the pedals off without a tool. I'm just not sure how grippy they'll be, but they could be worth a look!
Great overview of your bike and setup. Have you tried the Rohloff internal geared hub or Shimano Nexus/Alfine? I was wondering about those vs the pinion gearbox setup if you have tried any of them?
I've tried Rohloff a couple of times and definitely prefer Pinion, the shifting feels a lot better and I prefer the weight distribution, with the gearbox being in the centre of the bike. No experience with the Shimano geared hubs though, I'd be interested to give them a try!
@@tristanrid Thanks for answering my question as I didn't even think about the weight distribution.
Very informative, and with 75000 km behind you, i know it's worth listening. No rear rack and backpack any more?
Thank you! I'll probably run a backpack and rear rack again when I get back into long term touring mode this year, I just tend to use a seat pack for shorter trips where I don't need the extra capacity :)
I like your bike. What wheels do you have on it? I'm riding a surly bridge club xl 27.5 with marathon mondial 2.1 tires. I'm planning on doing the PCBR this fall and will probably put my panaracer gravelking tires back on as tubeless. What tent system do you use on your tours?
Rims are currently WTB KOM Tough i25, 29", and at the moment I'm using 29x2.25" Vittoria Mezcal tyres, which are great. I have a few tents, but at the moment I'm using a Durston X-Mid 1p Solid, which is great :)
Awesome and informative Tristan, have you toured with a Rolhoff hub and carbon belt before as apposed to the Pinion Gearbox? Likes & dislikes, Both are expensive set ups and have similar range between oil changes but one has to be built in to a frame on order as apposed to having a special wheel made up? I also think the frame at the back needs to have a split section in order to change the belt? I'm liking the idea behind either system these days compared to the Derailieur systems especially if you have to pack up the bike for airplane travel.
I haven't toured on a Rohloff but did try one out a few times on friends bikes so I do have some idea of comparison. I'd prefer a Rohloff to a derailleur drivetrain, but definitely prefer Pinion to Rohloff. I found the shifting to be MUCH nicer with Pinion, and it also has a higher gear range than Rohloff. I like that the weight is at the centre of the bike, which is much better for handling, and it also makes it easier to remove the gearbox should you ever need to send it away for repair, not that that's likely, whereas with Rohloff you'd have to take your wheel apart first. Pinion also makes it easy to switch wheelsets, which is nice. On the other hand, yeah you do need a bike specifically made for Pinion. Supposedly Rohloff is ever so slightly more efficient than Pinion too, although I've never noticed that. I'm super happy with my Pinion but either way I do think that for anything other than racing, gearboxes are the way to go!
Thanks for that insight Tristan, pinion gear boxes are pretty rare here in Australia but not so in Europe and America. I remember Darren Alff aka Bicycle Touring Pro buying a Co-Motion Siskyu with 650B wheel set and 18 speed Pinion as well as the S&S Couplers to split his entire frame, value today in Australian Dollars somewhere in the vicinity of $14,500 whereas a Rolhoff bike with Gates drive will cost $7,000. @@tristanrid
Wow that's super expensive, you can definitely get Pinion bikes for a lot less, as far as I've seen the price for both Pinion and Rohloff has been pretty comparable on most bikes
Great Video thanks. Wondering if you think 29x2.5 Mezcal rear and 29x2.6 Mezcal up front will work on my rigid Salsa Fargo with 30mm internal rims. Been running Mezcal 2.35s front and rear for a while now and I'm very happy with them but I'd like to have more mud clearance in the rear and I'd like try the 2.6 up front. Thanks
Thanks for watching! I'd check with Salsa directly since they have a few different versions of the Fargo with different clearances, and I believe it can even vary by frame size. Assuming there's enough clearance on the frame and fork, I think it would be a great combo, and the rims should be fine for that width of tyre :)
Don't forget recumbent 2 wheelers and trikes!
True!
You can patch carbon pretty easily. Carbon and epoxy aren't hard to find. Finding someone with a welder is probably harder actually.
It depends where you are, you're not going to find anyone to patch carbon in remote parts of the developing world!
Wow, super informative!!
Currently planning 1300 mile tour - near all pavement with a small amount of gravel. I was thinking of using 1.6 inch tires on my carbon fiber Hardtail MTB (120 mm travel fork). It’s a very lightweight xc frame and my plan was to use front fork, handlebar, triangle and an under seat bag ( not rear rack). I am hoping to go minimalistic on cooking stuff, but have overnight sleeping gear. Timeframe is Sept and traveling from Yellowstone to Minneapolis.
Questions: suitability of tire and xc frame??
Crazy.
I'd say it'll be fine, if you're riding almost all on pavement then the suspension fork won't really be doing anything for you so a rigid fork would be better, but if that's what you have then it'll do the job. If the fork has lockout then great, if not I'd probably pump up the pressure (assuming it's air suspension) so that you don't lose as much efficiency from it. But yeah in general it'll do the job, it's not the IDEAL bike for that trip but it'll get you there!
I have been trying out a 2.1 Mezcal tire. These things are so fast. Even on pavement.
Yeah Mezcals are such great tyres!
For me, the main issue with a flat bar bike like an MTB is the comfort issues over long hours riding. I can ride a drop bar bike comfortably for 6 to 10 hours purely because of the hand position on hoods. It opens the shoulders out which is the most comfortable natural position (Think how your hands are when they’re hanging down by your side walking). And a flat bar bike, your hand position rotates your arm and shoulders inward and causes nerve impingement which becomes uncomfortable very quickly. I can’t write a flat bar bike for more than 15 to 30 minutes. The solution is bar ends which puts your hands in the same position as hoods and open shoulders out. The problem is they’re very wide generally and that’s less comfortable even though you’ve got a lot of control. a better supplementary option used to have bar inners and tri- bars. Let’s face it, for long-distance comfort. You do need to have a number of position options that you can move easily between whilst riding. doesn’t matter what bike you’re on, you Need options
Yeah multiple hand positions are important, for sure. I do find the Spirgrips, the innerbarends, extremely comfrotable, and they feel very similar to the hood position on drop bars. The width has never been an issue for me, I actually prefer it a bit wider since it means I still have plenty of control even on rough ground, but you could always move them in if you wanted to. When not using aerobars I find it sit in that position 80% of the time and never really get hand fatigue, but for long days on flattish ground I definitely think aerobars are the way to go!
I use other mini bars (cheap decathlons) that may offer even more variety.
I don’t get the wide bars, to mountain biking friend’s horror (lol) I’ve cut my flat bars down to 550, also make me less nervous with traffic and trees on single track.
I know two guys who bought 2 cheap mountain bikes on gumtree and rode to South Africa from isle of white.
Good on them, that's a great ride!
Very interesting. I have a Surly LHT and ECR. I have been touring for a lot of years (Since 1972!) and like both options depending on where I ride. However, next year I am taking on the GDMBR and feel I need something lighter as I will be 64 and I am not as strong as I was so I will need all the help I can get to make the 60,000m of elevation. Do you have any suggestions for a bike for this specific ride? I wanted to keep the budget at around 2k-3k GDP. I am happy to buy used as I know my way around bikes and know what to look for when buying something used. Any help would be very much appreciated. Jay
Personally, I'd just stick to the ECR if I were you! Plus-tyres will make the ride a lot more comfortable, which is probably even more important the older you get, especially if you're not in a big rush to finish the route quickly. If hills are an issue I'd probably suggest getting some lower gears for the ECR, and packing lighter. If you went with a full carbon gravel bike, something like the Salsa Cutthroat, which was purpose made for racing the GDMBR, you'd save a few kilograms of weight, but spend a lot of money doing it. And you'd end up with higher gearing and a much less comfortable ride, so I'd stick with the ECR and maybe switch out your drivetrain for a lower granny gear :)
Just curious if you’ve ever tried those extra large pedals that enable you to place both the ball and heel of your foot on the pedal?
I haven't tried those yet, I tend to pedal on the ball of my foot so I'm not sure it would suit me but they do look interesting!
TRP Spyke for me with 180mm rotors and Avid speed dial 7 brake levers.
I was using TRP mechanical brakes for the last few years before switching to hydraulic and they're great brakes, I loved how easy they were to adjust!
26 in rims are way stronger than the other two options so if you are loaded go with the 26 in.......... pinion boxes are horrible for touring very few people know how to work on it
This just isn't really true any more - larger diameter wheels have got so much stronger over the last few years that there's now very little difference between the wheel sizes in strength. If you're really worried about it I'd say go with 27.5 over 29, but honestly 26" is a dead wheel size at this point so I'd really recommend against it - you'll have a really hard time getting good quality replacement parts for it in much of the world, many bike shops don't even stock them any more. As for the Pinion, it's true that most people can't work on them but the whole point is they don't need to, they're so reliable that you should be able to go years without needing any maintenance. In the unlikely event that something does go wrong you have to send the gearbox back to Pinion to repair, but that's so unlikely that I think it's a tiny risk well worth taking for the reward of zero maintenance, as well as the great performance. But to each their own!
Any Insights comparing your bike to Tumbleweed Prospector? Im considering it myself. Thanks
I haven't ridden a Prospector myself so I can't really comment, but from what I've heard they're great bikes and I'm sure you'd be happy with either. I guess the most obvious difference on paper is that the Outback runs a Pinion gearbox whereas the Prospector runs a Rohloff gearbox. Personally I'm definitely team Pinion as I find the shifting much smoother than the Rohloffs I've tried. The gear range is also quite a lot higher, and it makes more sense to me to have the weight of the gearbox in the bottom bracket rather than the rear wheel, as it's at the centre of the bike for weight distribution. But like I said they're both awesome bikes so I don't think you can go wrong with either!
21:46 CAT!
Ah you must mean my fearsome bodyguard/manager, Sir Gingivere! 🦁
Thank you very much for the content, very interesting, I also use a mountain bike for bikepacking, I have some problem with the suspension fork that however touches the front bags, do you have this problem? if yes how did you solve it? thanks for the answer greetings from Italy.
Yeah it can be tricky managing tyre clearance when running suspension, especially with larger wheels and bigger handlebar bags. For my setup it's definitely something I have to watch out for, especially when the bag is very full, when it tends to sag a little lower. In my case I have to have the handlebars a little higher than I'd normally like, and make sure I'm careful about how I pack the bag to ensure the compression straps keep it up. Three solutions: use a smaller handlebar bag, raise your handlebars, or find a way to attach a small front rack to stop the bag from hitting the tyre. None of those are ideal but that's the best I've been able to come up with so far!
@@tristanrid Thank you very much for your reply and suggestions, very much appreciated, I will try some of the solutions you suggested, I really like the rack solution... I will definitely try it out. Thanks again.